Ooty is one of the most beautiful places that I have ever visited.  I have always been a lover of the mountains and the hill stations. Whenever I have been to stay in a hill station, I feel as if I have the left the worries of the world behind me and the peace and quiet I find here, have a therapeutic effect on me. My husband shares this feeling which is why hill-station tourism is high on our priority list, as a couple.

 

It was while going to Kerala that my husband and I first stopped by Ooty. What we had heard about the place had not been very encouraging. Various cousins of mine, who had been there, had complained about the commercialization that had taken away the charm of the hill station.

 

Now, both my husband and I like unspoiled natural beauty and so we were a bit skeptical about the place, but the drive from Coimbatore to Ooty was so beautiful, that any worries about not enjoying the place were put to rest. As you go up the long winding road, there are these small waterfalls that trickle onto the road (one of the reasons could be that it was raining in November, when we went there) and provide wonderful background music to the breath-taking scenery that you see around you.

 

While we were going up, we saw small monkeys resting lazily by the road-side and their peaceful look was practically contagious. By the time we reached Coonoor (a hill station 17 kms from Ooty) it had begun to drizzle and we could see mooing cows being herded home. The whole atmosphere felt surreal, almost as if we had been transported to a peaceful era, far away from the bustle of the city.

 

When we reached the hotel which was called ‘The Willow Hill’, we were thrilled to find the magnificent view overlooking the meadows and valley below, from our room. At night, bright lights could be seen dotting the distance and they seemed like small fireflies or stars twinkling merrily away. Our favorite past-time in Ooty was sitting in comfortable easy chairs with a glass of wine during the night, enjoying the view from the large windows of the hotel and having a great discussion about anything and everything under the sun.  If I could have done this for a month or so, I am sure I would have come up with my literary masterpiece. J

 

The next day, we decided to indulge in some sight-seeing and began with the Ooty Lake. Boating on the sparkling green waters of the lake was great fun. After the lake, we went to the Botanical gardens. As we entered the garden, to the left there was this beautiful pond filled with lotuses which is a great sight to behold. The botanical gardens are huge (around 22 hectares, I was told) and comprises of exotic plants and trees. There is so much to see, that you can spend the entire day here if you wish.

 

Next on our list of must-see sights was Dodabetta peak which is the highest peak in Ooty. The sight of the valley below from this view point is awesome. When we went there, it was a bit cloudy and there was a chilly wind blowing around. There were these small, homely stalls nearby which served great bread-omelets, mouth watering ‘bhutta’, hot chocolate and hot coffee. Let me tell you, the combination of a cold, cloudy day, a hot chocolate, bhutta and a bread-omelet has to be eaten to be believed. Simply mind blowing.  

 

More on my Ooty experience tomorrow….